Media statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 12^th May 2012: 

Hishammuddin – stop spreading lies and falsehoods about Bersih 3.0

Malaysians, including the hundreds of thousands regardless of race, religion, class, region, age or gender, who had come out peacefully for the Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” at Dataran Merdeka on April 28, armed at most with salt and water bottles, are shocked and outraged at Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s allegation today that “some parties wanted serious injuries and deaths” at Bersih 3.0 – 24 days after the event!

I believe I could speak on their behalf, as well as all decent and rational Malaysians, to urge Hishammuddin to stop spreading lies and falsehoods about Bersih 3.0 as his allegation that “some parties wanted serious injuries and deaths” is most wild, irresponsible and deplorable.

There is no iota of evidence whatsoever to back this latest but totally wild and contemptible allegation emanating from government quarters.

Malaysians can still vividly remember Hishammuddin’s declaration a week before April 28 that the Bersih 3.0 rally was not a security threat and his dismissive statement that “April 28 is not an issue” as it had gained “little traction” with the public.

Clearly, Hishammuddin had not expected Bersih 3.0 to garner much crowd, probably a few thousands but definitely not more than the Bersih 1.0 and 2.0 crowds. The hundreds of thousands of Malaysians who gathered in peace must have totally caught him and the Barisan Nasional leadership by surprise.

When did Hishammuddin get the “intelligence” that there were “some parties at the April 28 Bersih rally who wanted serious injuries and deaths to occur”? Was it before or after Bersih 3.0 on April 28?

If Hishamuddin received “intelligence” that there were “some parties” who wanted serious injuries and deaths to occur at Bersih 3.0, he was then seriously remiss and negligent in his duties as Home Minister when he publicly declared that Bersih 3.0 rally posed no “security threat”!

Similarly, the question must also be posed whether the Prime Minister’s allegation that Bersih 3.0 was an attempted coup d’etat to topple the government was from police “intelligence” and given to him before April 28, and if so, why no pre-emptive action had been taken, whether this was proof that there was no basis or substance in such an allegation?

Or was the “intelligence” about an attempted coup to topple the government, like Hishammudin’s latest allegation that “some parties wanted serious injuries and deaths” at Bersih 3.0, purely political in nature, concocted after April 28 to enable the Barisan Nasional to demonise the Bersih 3.0 organisers and protestors?

Hishammuddin as Home Minister should not pile lies and falsehoods about the Bersih 3.0 rally.

He is in fact reinforcing the conviction of skeptical Malaysians who do not believe that the government is prepared for a truly independent, impartial, comprehensive and authoritative inquiry into the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 and the deplorable violence and brutality that ensued.

Is Hishammuddin expecting the government probe into Bersih 3.0 to come out with a finding that “some parties wanted serious injuries and deaths” at Bersih 3.0, or be exposed as an irresponsible Home Minister spreading lies and falsehoods?

As illustrated by the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians who came out peacefully in support of Bersih 3.0 rally for free and fair elections on April 28, Malaysians are fully committed to peaceful change in Malaysia and they will have no truck with any elements who want to foment violence and unrest such as causing serious injuries and deaths at Bersih 3.0.

But this can be no justification for Hishammuddin or Najib to concoct wild, irresponsible and deplorable lies about Bersih 3.0, whether alleging that it is a coup to topple the government or that there were “some parties who wanted serious injuries and deaths”.

This is why Malaysians must have confidence in the public inquiry into the Bersih 3.0 violence, why former Inspector-General of Police Tun Haniff Omar must be replaced with another reputable, credible and impartial nominee as he had disqualified himself from the post by going public on his prejudicial views about Bersih 3.0 rally and why the inquiry must be fully in the form of a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

The public inquiry into Bersih 3.0 must result in the healing rather than the further division of Malaysians with regard to a clean election system for a clean Malaysia.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor